Hong Kong chief executive election 2022: star-studded line-up in a one-man show? Business and political elite from mainland China lead John Lee’s campaign
- Bank of China (Hong Kong) vice-chairman Sun Yu and Ctrip.com co-founder Neil Shen among those recruited for 90-member presidium
- Representatives from youth, athletic and politically neutral civil groups noticeably missing from John Lee’s campaign team, Post finds
Representatives from youth, athletic and politically neutral civil groups are also noticeably missing from Lee’s 148-strong team, while at least five people aged over 90 have been recruited for the campaign leading up to the May 8 election, the Post has found.
While one analyst said the star-studded line-up was what Beijing preferred to boost public awareness of the one-man show and send a signal that elite mainland figures would play a more active role in the local political scene, another warned that the selection would cause more residents to become indifferent to politics.
The former No 2 official’s campaign office earlier enlisted some of the city’s most influential tycoons and pro-Beijing politicians. On Wednesday, Lee described members of his team as “respectable veterans” who could boost his confidence when campaigning in the final two weeks.
When asked whether officials in Beijing’s liaison office in the city had a say in deciding the list, he said: “This was a result of hard work by me and my team.”
Earlier in the day, campaign office director Tam Yiu-chung, also the city’s sole delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, sought to clarify the roles of the team members.
The 58 advisers belonged to a “honorary structure”, Tam said, while the 90-member presidium, or council of chairpersons, would gather opinions on drafting the political platform and other related work.